Faculty Spotlight

Zachary Schlader, PhD

Zachary Schlader is an assistant professor in the Department of
Exercise and Nutrition Sciences (ENS).

His research focuses on how the body regulates temperature and
the various interactions of exercise, cardiovascular physiology and
cognitive function.

Before arriving at the University at Buffalo, Zachary completed
his postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute for Exercise and
Environmental Medicine in Dallas, Texas. As a postdoc in the
Thermal and Vascular Physiology Laboratory, he conducted research
that investigated the impact of thermal stress on simulated
hemorrhage tolerance, the efficacy of heat acclimation in burn
survivors with grafted skin, and the impact of age on various
aspects of temperature regulation. Previous to that experience, he
had the tremendous opportunity to study his PhD at Massey
University in New Zealand. His PhD thesis developed, and later
utilized, an exercise model that enabled him to evaluate some of
the mechanisms underlying human adaptive behavior during thermal
stress. This work was an extension of the research he completed
during his time as a Masters student at Indiana University.

The Body's Reaction to Extreme Environments

Schlader is spearheading the development of a state-of-the-art
laboratory that simulates extremes in the environment, such as cold
and hot, that can be used to better understand how the temperature
of the environment affects our physiological responses.

“In our lab, we can simulate not only environmental
extremes, but also specific instances that may occur such as
hemorrhage,” says Schlader. “When we do this, we can
then look at the cardiovascular responses to that and the
interactions between temperature and physiology.”

An Early Interest in Exercise Physiology

As a sports fan, Zachary Schlader, PhD, knew from an early age
that we wanted to better understand the human body and how
physiology impacted performance. But it wasn’t until he
started down a scholarly path in exercise physiology that he
realized that his interests could potentially be used to impact
people’s lives.

“I think my interest in temperature and how the
environment affects us is because it’s something we can all
relate to. Everyone knows what it’s like to be hot, or in
Buffalo, what it’s like to be cold. So everyone understands
that. Not everyone necessarily understands what it’s like to
be an elite athlete where you’re pushing your body to those
extremes.”

This research, according to Schlader, can have far reaching
impacts that may be able to save lives.

“Epidemiological data that says that injury risk,
hospitalization and even death all spike whenever an injury is
related to being hot or cold. We’re trying to understand why
that is and once we can understand that, we hope to be able to do
something about it.”

Research Opportunities for Students

Schlader also notes that UB’s Department of Exercise and
Nutrition Science provides aspiring research students with great
opportunities, especially those interested in environmental
physiology.

“We’re just getting the ball rolling with our new
lab,” explains Zachary. “With that comes a great
learning opportunity because students would be very hands on. That
includes everything from putting equipment together, to data
collection and analysis. Our lab will not be complacent we’ll
be pushing the envelope of research and innovation.”

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